Education and learning BEFORE READING Answer these questions. a. Briefly describe the school system in your country in general. b. What do you think could be improved? c. What do you think is particularly good about the system? Schools around the world In Australia schooling consists of a preparatory year, plus twelve years of primary and secondary education. In the final year, year 12, students take the Senior Secondary Certificate of Education. Australia has a national curriculum, to ensure high academic standards across the country. Secondary schools offer a wide range of subjects using advanced technology. The school year is divided into four terms and runs from late January to December. There is a short holiday between terms and a long holiday in December and January. The school day lasts from 9 o clock to three o clock in the afternoon. After secondary school students can go to a vocational education and training institution or to university. In the United States children can attend optional kindergarten when they are five years old, but the six years of elementary school and six years of junior and senior high school are compulsory. The elementary school in the United States consists of six years, with the children moving up a grade each year. In these six years the children are only taught by one teacher. They stay in the same classroom for all their subjects. In junior and senior high school the students usually attend between six and eight classes a day. Each class consists of different students and is taught by a different teacher. School sports are very important in American schools and every school has school teams. Students graduate at the end of their twelfth year at school if they have met all their requirements. After that they may choose to Windaroo High School, Australia. module 10 Unit go into the job market, start an apprenticeship, or enrol in a college or university. In Britain schools can be either funded or independent. State funded schools in the UK are administered by Local Education Authorities (LEAs). Children begin school at five years old. Primary school lasts seven years, after which pupils go on to secondary school at the age of eleven. Secondary school is compulsory from 11 to 16 years old. At the end of this period, pupils take their Ordinary Level GCSE examinations (General Certificate of Education), which generally take two years to prepare. After this, pupils can stay on for another two years and then sit their Advanced Level GCSE examinations, which are necessary to continue to university level. The independent schools, have another system: pre-preparatory school > preparatory school > public school (for boys) / boarding school (for girls). Independent schools are not state funded. Public schools are very expensive, prestigious and exclusive boarding schools that usually only take boys. Eton College, Harrow, Westminster and Rugby are well-known public schools. Prestigious girls boarding schools include Radley and Rodean. The term public , which was first used by Eton College, refers to the fact that the schools were open to the fee-paying public, rather than being religious schools.